Double venous cannula

A venous cannula apparatus, comprising:

• a. cylindrical fluid conveying tube, said tube providing an upper tube portion communicating with a pair of cylindrical lower tube branch members connected to said fluid conveying tube and said lower tube branch members are of a combined external diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of said fluid conveying tube, and each of said lower tube branch members normally assumes a lateral operative position with respect to said fluid conveying tube, and each of said lower tube branch members are adapted to fit within the superior and inferior vena cava of a patient during coronary bypass surgical operation;
• b. a cylindrical annular sleeve fittable over said fluid conveying tube and said pair of cylindrical lower tube branch members in a slidable fashion, said sleeve being slideably movable over said tube and said tube branch members from a first aligned collapsed position to a second removed operative postion, each of said branch members being substantially aligned with said fluid conveying tube and said sleeve when said sleeve assumes said first aligned position, said cannula apparatus further providing a maximum external diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of said fluid conveying tube, said maximum diameter adapted to pass through a formed surgical opening when said sleeve assumes said collapsed position, each of said tube branch members being extendable laterally into the superior and inferior vena cava respectively during a surgical bypass of the heart when said sleeve assumes said second removed operative position;
• and
• c. a pair of clamp members for forming a substantially fluid tight seal between each of said tube branch members and the superior and inferior vena cava respectively.

A method of forming a cardio pulmonary bypass surgical connection comprising the steps of:

• a. forming a single opening in the atrium portion of the heart;
• b. providing a fluid conveying y-cannula having an upper tube and a pair of depending branch tubes integrally connected thereto, the upper tube defining a proximate end portion of the y-cannula and the branch tubes defining a distal end portion thereof;
• c. substantially surrounding the y-cannula with an external sleeve;
• d. inserting the distal branched end portion of the y-cannula and surrounding sleeve into the formed single opening;
• e. withdrawing the sleeve from the branch tubes allowing them to diverge laterally within the atrium;
• f. placing the end portion of one of the branch tubes into the superior vena cava;
• g. placing the end portion of the second of the branch tubes into the inferior vena cava;
• h. forming a substantially fluid tight connection at the single opening between the atrium and the proximate end portion of the y-cannula.

A method of forming a coronary bypass surgical connection comprising the steps of:

• a. forming a single opening in the atrium portion of the heart;
• b. providing a pair of elongated fluid conveying cannulae;
• c. placing a sleeve about the pair of fluid conveying cannulae at the single formed surgical opening;
• d. inserting the distal end portion of the combined sleeve and cannulae into the formed single opening;
• e. diverging the pair of fluid conveying cannulae from the sleeve distal end portion respectively toward the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava;
• f. placing the end portion of one of the fluid conveying cannulae into the superior vena cava;
• g. placing the end portion of the second of the fluid conveying cannulae into the inferior vena cava;
• and
• h. forming a substantially fluid tight connection at the single opening between the atrium and the fluid conveying tubes.

The method of implanting a cannula apparatus in a heart during a surgical cardio pulmonary bypass operation comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a branched cannula apparatus which apparatus comprises a fluid conveying tube and a pair of connected normally laterally extending branch tube members;
• b. urging the branch tube members into substantial alignment with the fluid conveying tube;
• c. surrounding the aligned branch tube members with a sleeve;
• d. forming a single opening in the atrium portion of the heart;
• e. passing the lower tip portions of the tube branch members of the aligned cannula apparatus a distance through the formed opening and into the atrium;
• f. allowing the branch tube members to diverge laterally within the atrium towards the superior and inferior vena cava respectively as the branch tube members exit the lower distal end of the sleeve;
• and
• g. securing each tube branch member within the superior and inferior vena cava respectively in a substantially fluid tight fashion.